Medium Jilian Lane, who has died aged 53, claimed to have met with the King of Pop under cover of darkness to help him with his relationships

A clairvoyant whose career took her from Barry to Beverly Hills to work with celebrities including Michael Jackson has died aged 53.

Jillian Lane, who claimed to be the number one celebrity psychic in Los Angeles, died on October 9 at the University Hospital of Wales. Her funeral will take place today.

Friend and colleague Dr Suzanne Yessayan, who will be reading the eulogy at the service in St Helen’s Catholic Church in Barry, said: “It is tragic. She had predicted her own passing and on this occasion, I hoped her prediction was wrong.”

Jillian, who referred to herself as an international medium, clairvoyant, spiritual consultant and healer, was first diagnosed with non-alcoholic liver disease last year. She also suffered from diabetes and recently underwent surgery for an abscess on her leg.

Suzanne, 66. who knew Jillian for 13 years, said: “She was a very giving, caring person. She kept her mind open and her heart open. She had style, grace and charm. She made friends everywhere she went and they have lost an angel.”

She added: “Working with Michael Jackson was her crowning glory. She was a very giving, nurturing person and she could not understand how he was vilified by the press.”

Jillian claimed Jacko first rang her for a consultation during a visit to London. Several phone calls later and the pair had struck up an unlikely friendship, which then led to her flying to America to meet him face to face.

According to Jillian, such was the secrecy of their meetings that she had to visit him under cover of darkness to avoid the paparazzi’s flashbulbs.

Among the topics she allegedly discussed with Jacko was his trouble with relationships.

Jillian was born in Splott to mother Maureen and father Brynly, who worked as a councillor for the Vale of Glamorgan. She believed her paternal grandmother was also a clairvoyant.

Suzanne said: “When she was a little girl, she wanted to be a hair stylist, but life took her in a different direction. She had inklings of her gift when she was a child. Her mother was very understanding, but a bit apprehensive.”

As a child Jillian was christened a Catholic but later developed spiritualist beliefs.

Suzanne, who was Jillian’s closest friend, said: “She believed in an afterlife and she believed that we are held accountable for what we do in life.”

After spending 40 days in hospital in LA, Jillian decided she wanted to come home to South Wales, where she spent two months at the University Hospital of Wales.

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